Posts from Ride-On/Push

We seem to have an early contender for "father of the year" here, this one representing dads in China: Lingzi Luo put his engineering experience designing mini cars to good use and constructed his son a one-of-a-kind streamline carbon fiber body, LED light, full suspension and transmission equipped, and electric motor operated beauty.

When children are learning to walk, they want to move-move-move all the time! Riding toys are great because they can push them while walking or climb on top for a spin. One of the issues I've run into while shopping for a quality ride-on toy has been maneuverability - some just don't roll very well. Here are some fabulous animal-like designs that will be hard to pass up for your little flying bee.

My son was 4 when I got him a scooter, but I see plenty of 2-year-olds on them. This 3-in-1 is a safer alternative. It starts with a seat then a scooter with a big "o" handle and then becomes a regular scooter.

Whether you have a small space or just want to get more bang for your buck, you may want to consider children's furniture and toys that serve multiple functions. There are so many convertible options on the market - from bassinets that transform into desks to toys that both rock and roll. Here are fifteen of my favorites:

Balance Bikes for preschoolers are becoming far more widespead in 2012 than when they were first introduced in 1999. Depending on where you live geographically, they are either easily found in every bike shop in town, or you have to order online to find your options. The design choices range from Waldorf-inspired wooden models to more classically designed metal frames. The only thing similar? No pedals.

Only because he clung to it at a thrift shop did my son have a vintage (and noisy as heck) corn popper push toy. It drove me nuts. This wood push toy which produces "gentle sounds" would likely have satisfied us both.

We can see why this toy has taken Kickstarter by storm; Weerol is a sustainable modern toy that can be customized and endlessly reconfigured to grow with your child's changing needs and interests. Yes, this is exactly how we roll.

Rocking horses are a classic, and always will be. But times change, and not many kids today can relate to riding a horse. It might be time to bring the rocking toy into the current century. Make way for the scooter.

My 3-year old daughter has been asking me for a toy lawn mower for weeks now. After checking online reviews and seeing the faded, broken ones at the neighborhood playground, I decided to make one myself. It turned out great (although I wished it actually cut the grass) and she's really happy with it. The only problem now is what color to paint it. You see, I assumed I'd be painting it some combination of classic red, black, and white or possibly a John Deere-esqe green and yellow. But what color does my 3-year old daughter want? Yeah, you guessed it: pink.